Signal for motor-vehicles.



` o. w. c'dwGfLL. SIGNAL FOB MTOB VEHICLES. l APPLICATION FILED MAILSI, 1918.

151061,1'34, APmnml Aug.4,19`14.

' UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE.

OBPH W. COWGILL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF NINETY ONE-HUNDREDTHS T0 OTTO F. STIFEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ORPH W. CoweILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain nevi7 and useful Improvement in Signals for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a motor vehicle, and showing my improved signaling devices attached to the dash thereof. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a signaling device of my improved construction. View partly in' sectionl` said view being taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections betweenthe signaling devices on the front of av vehicle and the switches, which latter are preferably located 0n the steering wheel of theyehicle.

My invention relates to new and useful. improvements in electrically operated signaling devices which are combined with the side lights of a motor vehicle, and which signaling devices are adapted to be used `for indicating the direction in which the driver of the vehicle is going to turn. i

The principal object of my invention is to provide a signaling device in the form of an electrically operated semaphore which carries an electric lamp, and which latter is normally located in the side light housing usually positioned on the end of the dash of the vehicle.

My improved signaling device is adapted for both day and night use, for tle semaphore arm iforniing a part of the 'signal is readily visible in day time as it swings outwardly from the end vof the dash of the ve,- hicle, and the electric lamp carried by said semaphore is, of coul'se` visible at night.

A further object of my invention is to provide a com|nn-atively simple. inexpensive construction which can be readily applied to all forms of motor vehicles without changing rr modifying the construction thereof, and which device is electrically operated and controlled b v means of switches located upon or near the steering wheel of the vehicle.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational' To the above purposes my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings 10 designates the dash of a motor vehicle, and located on the ends thereof are suitable brackets 11 which support the signaling devices. Each signaling' device comprises a housing 12 provided with a bracket 13 which is adapted to be removably applied to the bracket 11, and arranged in the upper portion of this housing 1s an ordinary solenoid comprising a coil 14 and core l5.

The chamber for passage way through the core 14 is closed at its upper end, thus providing means for the formation of an air cushion in said chamber above the core in order to cushion or retard the sudden upward movement of the core when the coil is energized. There is suflicient clearance between the core and the wall of the charnber in the coil to permit the air above the core to gradually discharge from said chamber as the core is drawn upward.

Located on top of the housing 12 is the ordinary side. light housing 1G provided with the usual glazed opening 17 in `its front wall, and with an opening 18 in its outside wall.

Jonrnaled in the lower portion of the housing 12 is a short, horizontally disposed shaft 1U, and fixed thereto is the lower end of a tubular arm 20 which performs the function of a semaphore, and carried by the upper end of this arm is an electric lalnp 21. The arm 2() is shaped so that when it occupies a normal or upright position the upper portion thereof and the lamp positioned on its upper end are located within the housing lo so that the rays from the lamp when lighted will pass through the glazed opening 1T.

Fixed to the end of the shaft 1S) lwithin the. housing 12 is one end of a short. crank arm 22. and pivotally connected to the opposite end thereof is one end of a short link 23, the opposite end oi which is pivotallv connected to the lower end of a solenoid core 15.

The electric circuits in which the solenoid coils 14 are located have a common battery 2li suitably located in the vehicle. and said circuits are controlled by means ot' switches such as push buttons located on the right and left hand points of the steering wheel,

' or at points convenient to the hand vof the wires leading to the lamps 21.

The operation of my improved signaling device is as follows: When the driver of 'the vehicle desires to turn laterally in either direction the switch or push button on the side corresponding to the direction in which the vehicle is to turn is closed, thereby energizing the corresponding coil 14, which action draws the corresponding core 15 upward, this movement of said core being cushioned by vthe air in the upper end of 'the chamber within the coil. As the core is thus drawn upward the shaft 19 is locked by reason of the connections 22 and 23, thereby moving the corresponding semaphore arm 20 outward and downward to theposition-shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus the signal is given that the driver is about to turn the vehicle in the direction indicated by the exposed or dropped semaphore arm. When the switch lor push button is released to open the circuit, the weight of the core moving downward to its normal position restores the semaphore arm to its upright normal position with the lamp 2l within the housing 16. A suitable resilient buffer, preferably of rubber, is located in the bottom of the housing 16 in position to bear against the upper portion ofthe semaphore 20 when the same returns to its normal upright position, thus overcoming any tendency of said semaphore to vibrate after movement. p

A signaling device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, is positive in action, can be readily applied to any ordinary motor vehicle without altering or modifying the structure thereof, is visible both day and night, and the electric lamps carried by the upper ends of the semaphore arms form side lights which are an essential feature to motor vehicles.

Various slight changes and modificationsv may be .made in the general form and parts of my lmproved device without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

incense ll claim: 1. The combination with a vehicle, of a side .light housing cn said vehicle, an elec- 'i trically operated semaphore arm arranged -for operation adjacent to said light housing,

Vsemaphore arranged for operation adjacent to said housing, and a lamp carried by said semaphore arm, which lamp is normally positioned in said housing. l

4. The combination with a vehicle lamp housing, of a solenoid adjacent to said la'mp housing, a semaphore actuated by said solenoid, and a lamp carried by said semaphore, which lamp-is normally located in said housing. 4

5. A. signaling device for motor vehicles comprising a lam-p housing adapted to be positioned upon the vehicle, a pivotally mounted semaphore, an electric lamp carried thereby which lamp normally occupiesl the lamp housing, and an electrically operated means including a solenoid for actuating said semaphore.

6. The combination with a vehicle side light housing, of a housing located below the light housing, a solenoid within the second mentioned housing, a semaphore pivotally mounted on the second mentioned housing andconnected to the core vof the solenoid, and an electric lamp carried., by saidsemaphore, which lamp is normally located within the light housing.

7 The combination with a vehicle, of lamp housings located on opposite sides of said vehicle, a semaphore arm arranged for operation adjacent to each housing, a lamp carried by each semaphore arm, which lamp normally occupies the corresponding housing, and electrically operated means includl `signature in the presence of two witnesses,

this 21st day of March, 1913.

, ORPH W. COWGILL. Witnesses lVLP. S'Mrrri, M. A. HANDEL. 

